Muhammad famously said 1) "Women are deficient in intelligence." [Sahih Bukhari, Vol.1, Book 6, number 301]. Now Muhammad could have instead told his followers statement 2) "Some men are deficient in intelligence and some women are deficient in intelligence" but Muhammad never did. Our debate question is: "Which statement is wiser, Statement 1) or Statement 2)? To help us answer this question, let us first listen to a story featuring Joseph Smith, Martin Harris, Lucy Harris, and other early Mormons.

Lucy Harris asking her husband, Martin, an important question about the self-proclaimed prophet, Joseph Smith, at the 5 minute, 29-second point the story.

A few seconds later, Martin Harris responds exactly as Joseph Smith would want him to.

While the entire story is worth listening to, of particular importance in evaluating the intelligence of women is what is said after the 5-minute, 10-second (5:10) point in the tale. Martin Harris tells his incredulous wife about how Joseph Smith successfully translated communications from the God of the Universe. She responds with a clever plan to check the veracity of Joseph Smith. But Joseph Smith had one last maneuver to employ...Debate Questions:1) Muhammad declared that women are "deficient in intelligence," but does Lucy Harris truly seem dumber than her husband, yes or no?2) Do you believe that Muslims could successfully argue that the followers of Joseph Smith are gullible?

Both Joseph Smith and Muhammad suffered through certain attacks on just them. Muhammad had garbage dumped on him, and children pelted him with stones; Joseph Smith had sticky tar followed by bird feathers applied to him (presumably making him look like a chicken).

Both prophets had little or no education. Muhammad could not read and write, Joseph Smith could read, but received little formal education.

After becoming self-proclaimed prophets, both men enjoyed having many wives, though each had but a single wife before prophethood. Muhammad had at least a dozen wives after his first wife died, though some of Muhammad's marriages ended in divorce. In the afterlife, Muhammad's polygyny continues, with marriage to 3 more human wives (including Jesus' mother, despite her already having a husband), as well as marriage to many, many virginal "houris." Joseph Smith according to one source had at least 30 wives.

Both prophets were contacted primarily by angels. And no one else ever saw these angels.

Both prophets married minors. Joseph Smith had several marriages to girls under 18 years old; the youngest bride was a 14-year old. Muhammad famously married his third wife, Aisha, when she was six years old. In addition, he married 16-year old Safiyah, not even waiting 4 months (as required by Quran 2:234) before consummating the marriage to this widow (the Muslims had made her a widow by killing her husband). Muhammad was about 40 years older than Safiyah, but, unlike Joseph Smith, Muhammad prohibited his wives from remarrying after his death, so Safiyah had to endure decades as a childless widow. And Muhammad married Mulaykah, reported in al-Tabari as "She is small and has no mind of her own; she was beguiled." Happily for young Mulaykah, she divorced Muhammad before he died, so she was able to remarry after his death.

Both prophets declared that the all-powerful god of the universe had permitted the Bible to be corrupted. Adherents of Islam do not believe that the Quran has been corrupted, while followers of Mormonism do not believe the Book of Mormon has been corrupted.

Yet evidence exists that both the Quran & The Book of Mormon were corrupted, though the corrupting verses were later expunged. Both prophets revealed verses later proclaimed to be from the devil. The Satanic Verses of the Quran are well-known, with the angel Gabriel admonishing Muhammad that Muhammad had recited certain verses from Satan and not from Allah. Joseph Smith seemingly never believed that any of his revelations were from Satan, though he did believe that certain individuals guided by Satan tried to get verses from the devil into his Book of Mormon. Prominent Mormon contemporaries of Smith, such as David Whitmer, came to believe that the Book of Mormon was rife with both abrogations (the god of the universe changing his mind) as well as with devilish verses.

Both prophets were murdered. Joseph Smith was killed by an angry mob as he awaited trial for inciting a riot and treason. Certain Shia Muslims believe that Muhammad was murdered by his child-wife, Aisha. Still, hadiths indicate that Muhammad just before he died thought he was dying from lasting effects from being poisoned a few years earlier by a female Jew from Khaibar. (The Muslims had at that time marched from Medina to Khaibar, found the Jewish men in the fields working, declared jihad against them, defeated them, killed some of them, and confiscated their property as well).

To the Muslims and to the Mormons: Think of all the reasons you reject Joseph Smith as a prophet, or all the reasons you reject Muhammad as a prophet. Which of these reasons for rejection do not also apply to your own prophet as well?

Early followers of both Islam and Mormonism encountered enmity from those outside the faith, and such hostility led them to move elsewhere. The Muslims fled Mecca to avoid persecution from the polytheists there whom Muhammad had offended, while the Mormons hastily departed repeatedly from one United States region for another, to run from angry mobs and blasphemy laws. Did intolerance toward them lead the acolytes of Muhammad and those of Joseph Smith to ongoing, permanent intolerance of others? After the death of Muhammad the armies of Islam marched across Egypt and North Africa, into Spain and France. To the East, the Muslims eventually established their rule in Constantinople, almost conquered Vienna, and did conquer large parts of India, with millions of Hindus being killed and enslaved.Like the early Muslims, the early Mormons in the time of Joseph Smith often found themselves in battle. Their religion started in the United States, in New York state, and then its parishioners traveled to Ohio. Encountering financial trouble there, they then moved on to Missouri. Fights with those outside the faith compelled them to flee to Illinois. The founder of the religion, Joseph Smith, would be killed in that state. To escape further violence the main branch of the religion would travel to Utah. Some Mormon adherents in Utah would then become responsible for the “Mountain Meadows Massacre” of nonbelievers.If one must have a prophet and a god, are there any nonviolent prophets and gods who are preferable?

Like the early Muslims, the early Mormons in the time of Joseph Smith often found themselves in battle. The religion started in the United States, in Nework state, and then its parishioners traveled to Ohio. Encountering financial trouble there, they then moved on to Missouri. Fights with those outside the faith compelled them to flee to Illinois. The founder of the religion, Joseph Smith, would be killed in that state. To escape further violence the main branch of the religion would travel to Utah. Some Mormon adherents in Utah would then become responsible for the “Mountain Meadows Massacre” of nonbelievers.

Both religions have an obligatory payment to religious authorities. The Muslim is required to pay 2.5% of his or her income -- if he or she refuses, then this person might be considered an apostate, which could be dangerous. The Mormon is tithed at 10%.

Both religions prohibit gambling .

Unlike the heaven of Christianity, in which people become unmarried angels (Matthew 22:30), in the heaven of the Muslims and that for the Mormons there are plenty of spouses and sexual relations.

Both religions prohibit homosexuality.

Both religions introduce a new religious book, with the Mormons it is The Book of Mormon, and with the Muslims, The Quran.

Both religions have periods of fasting: Mormons with their Fast Sundays, and Muslims with their month-long Ramadan.